HILLHEAD SHOWCASES WAVE OF NEW MACHINERY LAUNCHES

This week’s Hillhead exhibition near Buxton once again proved to be a major platform for machinery manufacturers to unveil new products, with a host of launches and previews attracting attention from visitors across the quarrying, construction and plant sectors.

Among the highlights was JCB’s preview of what they described as its largest and most productive wheeled loaders to date. The new 480 and 490 models have been developed to meet Stage V and Tier 4 Final emissions standards and offer payloads of 8,000kg and 9,000kg respectively.

Designed for heavy-duty applications including quarrying, waste handling, ports and construction, the loaders are powered by a 250kW Cummins X12 diesel engine delivering up to 1,695Nm of torque. Both models feature a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) as standard, aimed at maximising productivity while reducing fuel consumption.

JCB says the machines combine the breakout force associated with traditional Z-bar loader designs with the visibility and precision of a tool carrier arrangement, thanks to a patented loader arm design. Standard and high-lift arm options are available, with maximum pin heights of up to 5,000mm.

Operators benefit from JCB’s latest UX interface, centred around a 10-inch touchscreen display, alongside programmable electro-hydraulic controls and a range of optional technologies including onboard weighing, object detection and auto-greasing systems.

The launch was one of many new machine introductions at Hillhead 2026, underlining the event’s continued importance as a showcase for the latest developments in plant and equipment technology. We will feature more information in an upcoming edition of Service Dealer magazine.